April 25, 2006

Infernal Affairs

Dante Opens

For some chefs, opening a restaurant is pure hell.

But when you’re Dante (de Magistris, that is), you wouldn’t have it any other way.

After earning his chops around town (at the Fed, Restaurant L back when it was Cafe Louis, and Pignoli when Lydia was still in her offal phase), he’s finally gotten his own place.

The eponymous Dante is housed in the Cambridge space that used to be Davio’s. The design (by the ever-talented Dennis Duffy) is all Italian leather chairs, private balconies, sprawling outdoor patio, and Mediterranean colors.

The menu is Med-minded, too — stacked with mini plates of escargot and truffle whipped potato spuma, tasting plates of potato gnocchi, and yellowtail tuna tartare. At breakfast, cornmeal and blueberry pancakes come crowned with mascarpone gelato.

So with this sure-to-be-hit now under his belt, you’d think Dante would be perfectly happy to rest on his laurels for a while.

Like hell he is.

Dante, Royal Sonesta Cambridge Hotel, 5 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge (617-497-4200 or restaurantdante.com).